Dr. Headrick's research focuses on the intersections of leadership education, rural community development, and inclusive leadership practices, including celebrating people for their identities and contributions. His dissertation research focused on the pedagogy of leadership MOOCS (Massive Open Online Courses) and provided a snapshot of instructional strategies and other defining information for this subset of academic offerings.

Headrick teaches the introductory leadership/ theory courses for both undergraduate and graduate students, Effective Groups and Teams, International Leadership, and Leadership and Diversity. At TTU, Headrick has completed the Institute for Inclusive Excellence, TeMPO Program, and is a graduate of the TTU President’s Leadership Institute (PLI). He also received the New Faculty Award from the Texas Tech Alumni Association (TTAA).

Headrick edited and released an OER textbook with colleagues in 2023 entitled Developing Human Potential: A Personal Approach to Leadership. The OER is free for students (and anyone) to access. In addition, he serves as the director of the Civic Leadership Academy, a yearlong program focused to educate Davis College students on the development of civic leadership principles. This program was developed by grants and is funded through 2024.

He serves on the Association of Leadership Educators (ALE) board as a Director-at-Large and on Conference Planning Committee. He serves on Communications/Member Services committee for Western AAAE, and has served as a reviewer for both AAAE and Western AAAE. On campus, Headrick serves a co-advisor for the TTU MANRRS chapter and chairs the Davis College Recruitment and Retention Committee.

Headrick is a native of Tompkinsville, Kentucky, where he grew up heavily involved in 4-H, serving as Kentucky State 4-H Vice-President, and working on his family's tobacco and timber farm. He attended the University of Kentucky, receiving a B.S. in Agricultural Communications and his M.S. in Community & Leadership Development. Headrick completed his Ph.D. at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in Human Sciences with a focus in Leadership Studies.